PepsiCo's focus on supporting farmers and their communities is simple: a resilient food system depends on resilient farmers, strong rural communities and a new generation prepared to lead agriculture forward.
As a global food and beverage company rooted in agriculture, PepsiCo recognizes that supporting farmers means more than improving productivity. It means helping strengthen livelihoods, expand access to resources, encourage generational renewal and build resilience in the face of climate volatility, water scarcity and changing workforce dynamics.
Through a portfolio of strategic partnerships, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation aim to address these interconnected challenges through locally led solutions that support the farmers of today while preparing the farmers of tomorrow. The portfolio includes:
PRAGATI: PepsiCo Foundation, the State Bank of India Foundation, Gates Foundation and local implementation partners are striving to expand access to climate-resilient agriculture, entrepreneurship and financial literacy for 20,000 smallholder farmers in India.
FarmPath and Field to Future: PepsiCo, the PepsiCo Foundation and Farm Foundation are aiming to help aspiring hundreds of farmers and students build skills, gain mentorship and pursue careers across the food and agriculture value chain in the United States.
VivaOliva: PepsiCo Foundation, Earthworm Foundation, The Sustainable Smallholder and The Regen Academy are working to help 200 olive growers in Spain adopt regenerative practices aimed at improving soil health and water stewardship.
Future Harvest: PepsiCo Foundation and EIT Food aim to provide 900 young farmers across Europe with online learning and farm-based experiences.
Together, these efforts invest in those who sustain agriculture today while supporting the skills, confidence and connections needed for the industry’s future.
PepsiCo aims to strengthen farmer resilience and expand opportunities for the next generation of agricultural leaders through a portfolio of locally relevant programs rather than applying a single model across markets. The strategy combined PepsiCo’s agricultural expertise, relationships and philanthropic investment with the knowledge and trust of NGOs and partners closest to the communities being served.
Execution centered on practical, locally led solutions tailored to each community’s needs.
The work began by identifying barriers affecting farmers and the future agricultural workforce, including climate volatility, water scarcity, rising costs, limited access to practical training and networks and a shrinking pipeline of young people entering agriculture. PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation then worked with local and sector-specific partners to shape practical, locally led solutions suited to each market.
Smallholder farmers often do not have access to the resources required to transition to regenerative practices. In India, PepsiCo Foundation partnered with the State Bank of India Foundation, Gates Foundation and local implementation partners to launch PRAGATI. The initiative will strive to develop agri-entrepreneurs across eight states to expand access to climate-resilient agriculture, entrepreneurship and financial literacy for approximately 2 million smallholder farmers.
In today’s rapidly changing agricultural landscape, early career farmers need guidance and resources to succeed. FarmPath helps participants build agricultural skills while connecting them to mentorship, professional networks and pathways to opportunity. Field to Future, developed with Farm Foundation in the United States, is a two-year leadership and career development program that gives undergraduate students exposure to the food and agriculture system. Through site visits, mentorship and hands-on learning, participants explore careers across production agriculture, manufacturing, sustainability and agribusiness while building the skills and connections needed to enter the sector.
In Spain, VivaOliva works directly with olive growers in the Jaén region to foster entrepreneurship and engage new generations in farming. Delivered with Earthworm Foundation, The Sustainable Smallholder and The Regen Academy, the program combines practical training and hands-on agronomy support in regenerative agriculture techniques. Its focus includes improving soil health, optimizing water conservation, supporting farmer livelihoods and preserving the region’s agricultural traditions.
Future Harvest expands this next-generation focus across Europe. The program will train 900 young farmers in Spain, the Netherlands, France, Türkiye and Poland as they build viable, future-ready businesses. Its blended model combines online learning with practical farm experience, making training more accessible.
PepsiCo recognizes that no single intervention can address the pressures facing agriculture. Technical training alone may not solve limited access to mentors, market knowledge, career visibility or peer support. PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation responded by pairing education with real-world experience, industry exposure, local partnership and ongoing relationship-building.
Rather than standardizing delivery, each program was designed around local realities while remaining connected by a shared approach: partnering with trusted organizations, investing in practical solutions and creating programs built to grow and last. By combining PepsiCo’s agricultural expertise, relationships, resources, and global reach with partners’ community insight, technical expertise and trusted relationships, these programs strive towards strengthening farming communities, improving farmer resilience and expanding opportunities for the next generation of agricultural leaders.
PepsiCo Foundation's partnership strategy has translated its support for farmers into measurable outcomes, expanded programming and stronger pathways for agricultural development.
FarmPath exceeded its original enrollment goal before programming began. More than 670 people from 48 U.S. states applied for its first cohort, and over 550 aspiring and beginning farmers were accepted—more than 80% above the initial goal of 300 participants. The program provides monthly education in farm operations, business management, sustainability and market development, with select participants eligible for mentorship, business-planning assistance and up to $10,000 in implementation funding.
Field to Future has graduated six students from its first cohort and selected six more for its 2025–2027 cohort. Participants receive scholarships from PepsiCo and opportunities to interview for paid, two-year summer internships within PepsiCo’s agricultural supply chain, creating a direct pathway between education and employment.
VivaOliva has grown from more than 150 farmers in its first year to 200 participating olive producers in its second edition. Participants received two machines to help implement regenerative practices, three field sessions, eight workshops and personalized technical guidance.
Future Harvest expands PepsiCo Foundation's support for young farmers across Europe, with a 2026 goal of training 900 young and next-generation farmers in five countries. Although PRAGATI is in its early stages, the initiative is positioned to make a meaningful impact in the coming years.
Together, these partnerships demonstrate how PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation are strengthening farming communities by improving farmer resilience, expanding career pathways and building a more resilient food system.
